1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to broadcast signal reception devices and methods and particularly to broadcast reception devices and methods that allow reception of time information broadcast in conjunction with a television (TV) signal.
2. Description of the Background Art
A broadcast reception system has a so-called auto adjust system mounted therein to allow information of the current time superimposed on a broadcast signal as extended data services (XDS) to be obtained and used for time adjustment for the broadcast reception system.
The information of the current time is not broadcast by all broadcast stations. Accordingly, the system does tuning with respect to all channels to check a channel on which the information of the current time is broadcast. One such known system performs automatic tuning with respect to all channels to check a channel on which reception of XDS information is detected that has a smallest channel number.
During the broadcast reception system's tuning operation with respect to all channels, as described above, when an operator provides an input to designate a channel on which the information of the current time should be obtained the system still continues the tuning operation and until it completes the tuning operation for all of the channels it does not accept the input. As such, the system is inferior in operability.
The tuning operation with respect to all channels, as described above, can be replaced, as follows: a user can designate a channel broadcasting XDS information including the information of the current time and the system can receive a broadcast signal of the designated channel and obtain therefrom the information of the current time. However, the user must previously know a channel broadcasting the information, which provides poor practicality.
Receiving a broadcast signal to obtain XDS information therefrom is disclosed for example in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 10-23344, 10-313447, 11-317913, 2000-92426 and 2001-275090. None of these publications discloses a procedure in which during an operation by a reception system to automatically obtain XDS information when the user designates a channel the system interrupts the operation and rapidly accepts the designation to obtain XDS information with respect to the designated channel.